Production and consumption of ozone depleting substances

06 Nov 2007

Are ozone-depleting substances being phased out according to the agreed schedule?

The total production and consumption of ozone depleting substances in EEA member countries has decreased strongly since the Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987. In 2006, consumption and production stood at 696 and 114 ODP tonnes, respectively.

Some other key findings are:

Polar ozone loss will remain large and highly
variable in the coming decades, and the Antarctic ozone hole will persist
longer than previously estimated.

Failure to continue to comply with the Montreal
Protocol could delay or even prevent the recovery of the ozone
layer.

UV-B radiation influences living organisms,
ecosystems, and materials. In human populations it can cause severe damage
to the eyes, skin cancers, and suppressions of the immune
system.

The projected recovery of the ozone layer is
sensitive to future levels and greenhouse gases and the associated changes
in climate.

Climate change will influence the exposure of all living organisms to
UV-B radiation via changes in cloudiness, precipitation, and ice
cover.